When you start running for the first time or working-out in ways that are new to your body, your muscles undergo some transformation. In this article I will share what happens to your muscles after your first run, and what you can do to assist your body during recovery.
Effects of running on your body
There are few things that your body goes through during your first run.
- Increased oxygen need: The first thing you might notice during your first run is that your heart starts beating faster and you might be breathing more heavily than normal. This is a sign of your body needing more oxygen to support the run. Breathing more and having an increased heart beat (pumping of blood) supports this extra need of oxygen.
- Lactic acid buildup: When you start running, the energy you need for the run is supported by the oxygen you breathe. But when you run beyond your oxygen intake capacity, your body starts a process of producing energy without oxygen. This process of producing energy without oxygen is called "anaerobic process". During this anaerobic process, your body produces a byproduct called lactic acid. This lactic acid prevents the muscles from overworking and damaging themselves by making your muscles ache or cramp. This lactic acid stays in our muscles for some time after you stop the run/workout.
- Muscle soreness: When you run for the first time, or when you run after a long break, or when you increase your running intensity, your muscles might start feeling sore. The onset of this muscle soreness typically starts 1-2 days after your workout and usually goes away within 3-5 days. This soreness happens likely due to micro tears in the muscle fibres that occur due to the new muscle activity. These micro tears are normal and all muscles undergo this whenever they are used beyond their usual capacity. These micro tears in the muscle fibres rebuild usually in a few days, and in the process increase the strength of the muscles.
How to assist your body's recovery
After you run or workout, your body starts the recovery process automatically. But there are a few things you can do to assist your body during this recovery.
- Cool down: After you finish your run, continue to walk or run slowly for a few minutes. This will cool down your muscles and also help reduce the amount of lactic acid that was built up in the body.
- Stretch: After a few minutes of rest, stretch the muscles that you used during the run. These would be mainly your quadriceps (front thigh muscles), hamstrings (back thigh muscles), calf muscles, and glutes (buttock muscles). Ideally stretch each muscle for about 15 seconds. This should release the tension in your muscles.
- Rehydrate: Drink plenty of water to replenish the water you lost due to sweating. Adequate water in the body also helps transport nutrients and flush out waste material.
- Eat: To help the recovery of your muscles, try to eat carbohydrate and protein rich foods with your following meal. Carbohydrates will replenish the glycogen (energy) stores in your muscles and protein will help to rebuild your muscles.
- Rest & recover: Try to have a restful sleep so your body can recover and rebuild the muscle tissues.
It is normal that you start feeling muscle soreness a day or two after your first run, or exercise beyond your usual physical activity. As I shared above, this is likely due to micro tears in the muscle fibres. While the body is repairing these tears, it is important that you continue to move your body and do light exercises like walking, stretching, or slow jogging. If your muscles are sore, do not stop the movement completely. Movement helps improve your circulation, and helps relax your muscles and joints.
One way to reduce muscle soreness after a run is by first starting with low intensity runs, and then increasing the intensity slowly over time. This will help your muscles adapt to the intensity of your runs.
In my upcoming blogposts I will share more about stretching after your run, and about running after pregnancy.
Stay healthy and enjoy finding joy in health!